Page 64 of Persuasions of an Earl's Daughter

“He deserved that,” she told Icarus, “but you’re lucky he’s not dead.”

August pulled his horse to a halt. He stared at her as though he didn’t know what or who he was looking at. Then he dismounted swiftly, covered the distance between them, and hauled her to her feet.

“I thought I’d lost you, Lil.”

“You nearly did.” She’d nearly given up on him. Nearly lost the one thing she could always be counted on to have—her courage. But it wouldn’t fail her again. She wouldn’t be pushed away again.

He gripped her face, his gloves cold but soothing against her skin, and she leaned into his touch.

“Never again,” he vowed. “I won’t lose you ever again.”

∞∞∞

His surroundings blurred. The night became a haze of shadows and lamplight and then it was just her. He almost couldn’t believe it when he spotted her on the street after chasing Frederick’s in a damned circle through the town.

She was alive and well.

She was perfect.

August held her for several moments, just taking in how lovely Lilly was and how she looked at him like he was the only person in the world. Like he was worthy of her. He couldn’t even hear the sound of his father’s voice berating him for his common blood.

“I thought I’d lost you for a moment,” he said again, glancing around her at Brown. “I wanted to kill him.” He dropped a kiss to her lips.

“He’s alive,” she whispered against his mouth.

“It’s more than he deserves.”

He smoothed a thumb over her cheek and kissed her again, taking in the sweet warmth of her mouth against the cool night air. It reassured him she was here and well and in his arms where he never wanted to let her go again. He’d thought the worst thing he could do was stay and risk her being married to a fraud. But the idea of being apart from her was so much worse.

“I was going to give you Icarus. He’s yours anyway but I was never going to take him from you. Not after—”

“Not after everything we’ve been through.”

“Not after I realized I love you.” Another kiss because he couldn’t resist.

Her lips curved, her eyes crinkling at the corners when he drew back. “So why try to drive me away?”

“He knows.” He nodded toward Brown.

“Knows about your real father?”

“Indeed.”

“But I know already.”

“He threatened to reveal the truth to others if I didn’t pay him.”

Her expression grew smug. “I knew there was more to that exchange.”

“You are far cleverer than I am.” He went to kiss her once more, but she moved back. Thankfully she remained near enough for him to slip his hands down to her shoulders and keep her where he could touch her and assure himself all was right in the world.

“August Beresford, no more kisses until you explain to me properly why you were such a bullheaded fool.”

He sighed, released her arms, and raked a hand over his rough jaw. “If Brown reveals the truth, I risk the gallows. I thought it best to run again. Head to some country where no one would find me.” He grimaced. “I thought it best to leave you.”

“And I’ll damn well tell the truth if anything happens to me,” Brown said with a groan as he tried to push up from the ground. He swore and flopped back down. “My ribs are broken.”

Lilly thrust a finger at him. “Something else will be broken too if you don’t keep your mouth shut.”

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